STRONG SUPPRESSION OF FEEDING BY A PEPTIDE-CONTAINING BOTH THE NUCLEAR-LOCALIZATION SEQUENCE OF FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR-I AND A CELL MEMBRANE-PERMEABLE SEQUENCE

Earlier studies have shown that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1 in th e brain regulates feeding behavior. In the present study, food intake in rats was strongly suppressed by an infusion into the lateral cerebr oventricle of a synthetic peptide (26 amino acids) which contains both the N-terminal nuclear localization sequence (NLS) of FGF-1 and a rec ently identified membrane-permeable sequence. When the NLS motif in th e peptide was destroyed by mutations of two lysine residues, the mutan t peptide failed to affect eating. The results suggest that the NLS of FGF-1 plays an important role in FGF-1-induced feeding suppression an d they introduce a novel compound for feeding regulation. (C) 1998 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.